Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Thanks to the support of Amman Valley Hospital’s League of Friends, an additional 16 car parking spaces will be created at the rear of the hospital site, adjacent to the main car park, to help ease parking pressures. Work will be completed by Friday 14 April. The 16 car parking spaces include two disabled bays. In addition to the new parking bays, the League of Friends are also supporting improvement works to the hospital driveway and the installation of a new security access barrier to the main hospital car park. Arwel Davies, Honorary Treasurer of the Amman Valley Hospital League of Friends said: "We are delighted to be supporting such an important development at Amman Valley Hospital to improve facilities for visitors and staff at the site. We are contributing over £100,000 to this development thanks to a legacy left to us from the late Mrs Gwenllian (Gwennie) Morgan of Tircoed Road, Glanamman." Patients and visitors to the hospital are being advised of temporary disrup

The latest statement from the Hywel Dda University Health Board regarding the Andrews Medical Practice in Llanelli is here - Patients registered with Andrews Medical Practice in Llanelli will soon be allocated a new GP surgery following the decision of the Service provider to return its GMS contract to the Health Board. Hywel Dda University Health Board can confirm that the Practice will cease to provide GMS services from 31 May 2017, following the decision by the Rosedale Medical Group. Patients currently registered at the Practice will be automatically registered with another Practice locally. The Health Board is working closely with neighbouring GPs and the Community Health Council, and patients will receive an individual letter within the next few days. There is no need for patients to do anything at this current time, as services will continue to be provided from Andrews Medical Practice up until the 31 May 2017. Jill Paterson, Interim Director of Primary Care, said: “This proces

Could you spare a few hours each week to help bring a little comfort to hospital patients? Volunteering for Health, Hywel Dda University Health Board’s volunteering scheme, are seeking to recruit volunteers to help maintain shop trolley services in Glangwili and Prince Phillip Hospitals. The service is looking for volunteers between the hours of 8.30am to 12.30pm from Monday to Friday. Volunteers will be required to deliver shop goods to inpatients, and also load/ unload the trolley. David Fretwell, Head of Volunteering Services said: “The much loved trolley services in our acute Carmarthenshire hospitals rely on the help of volunteers, and provides inpatients with access to home comforts such as newspapers, confectionery and toiletries. “We’re keen to hear from anyone who can spare a few hours a week to help others. “Volunteering for Health not only benefits our patients, but also the volunteers themselves, who find it rewarding and helps them to gain experience for their future care

An Italian who has lived in Wales for 15 years and is now an undergraduate at Aberystwyth University is organising a rally of fellow students and staff as part of a worldwide day of action in support of migrants and refugees. Irene Cuogo says she has seen a rise in racist and xenophobic behaviour in many parts of the United Kingdom since the Brexit vote in June 2016. She wants to show that Aberystwyth University, the town and Ceredigion are welcoming, inclusive and global in their outlook. As part of an international campaign called One Day Without Us , Irene is calling on fellow students, staff and members of the local community to gather on the piazza outside the Arts Centre at 1pm lunchtime on Monday 20 February. “Ceredigion is a very important and dear county for the ethos it holds in regards to us immigrants, migrants and refugees, and how its people demonstrate their support and appreciation towards our group on a daily basis since Brexit,” said Irene. “More specifically, the v

The Actif Holiday Club has a wide range of activities at local leisure centres to keep youngsters occupied during half term in Carmarthenshire. The club is aimed at children aged 8-12 years and offers a chance to take part in a wide range of fun activities including snorkelling, kayaking, netball, den building, arts and crafts plus much more. The fun packed programme, delivered by highly trained leaders takes place from next Monday to Friday (February 20–24) at Carmarthen, Llanelli, Amman Valley and Newcastle Emlyn Leisure Centres. Holiday activities at St Clears Leisure Centre takes place on Tuesday and Thursday only. For a full timetable of activities and to book visit www.actifsirgar.co.uk/children Bookings can also be made directly by contacting the local Leisure Centre. Carmarthen Leisure Centre – 01267 224700; Llanelli Leisure Centre – 01554 774757; Amman Valley Leisure Centre – 01269 594517; St Clears Leisure Centre – 01267 224; and Newcastle Emlyn – 01267 224731. Carmarthen

Come and celebrate St David’s Day in Ammanford. A wealth of activities have been organised on the day by Menter Bro Dinefwr in conjunction with Carmarthenshire County Council’s economic development division and Communities First, as well as a window display competition which will be judged beforehand. Menter Bro Dinefwr has arranged for local schools will be performing on a stage in Quay Street throughout the day from 10am to 2pm. There will be a surprise event as well as a Twmpath on the street. Other events include a Peppa Pig theme session at Ismooth Café and reading activities in the Library. Communities First has organised a marquee with various exhibitions. Businesses have been given the opportunity of putting on a special offer for the day. A window display competition will be judged by Huw Rees (or Huw Fash as everyone knows him) on Tuesday February 28. There will be a trophy for the best window display. Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member for regeneration a

Some random photos of a walk along the old Carmarthenshire Railway route. Includes Swiss Valley Reservoir, and scenes along the route from Furnace to the reservoir. The route follows the earliest operational railway in Great Britain, as authorised by an Act of Parliament. Photo album - https://goo.gl/photos/TVbhtEQzonvxuChB9

Food businesses are being offered a chance to operate hot and cold food catering units across Llanelli’s Millennium Coastal Park. Applications are now being taken for two units to operate from the car park in Sandy Water Park and two in Festival Fields. Two mobile hot catering units and up to two cold units are also available at Burry Port Harbour. In addition, tenders have also been issued by Carmarthenshire County Council for operating up to three mobile catering units to sell ice cream and other cold items at Pembrey Country Park and one catering unit to operate from the car park outside the park’s main entrance. Applicants are also invited to apply for a hot food catering area to be located in the main park area under a 12-month contract. Tenderers must supply their own covered temporary building which complements the outlet and the park. Tenders should be submitted by 12 noon on Tuesday, February 21. Further information and forms of tender can be obtained from The Visitor C

Think one of the Bill Poster writers at the Llanelli Star decided to have a bit of fun with this one! No comment needed.

Prince Philip Hospital’s Endoscopy Unit’s accreditation from the Joint Advisory Group (JAG) on GI Endoscopy means Hywel Dda University Health Board has become the first fully JAG accredited health board in Wales. JAG accreditation means that Endoscopy patients can be safe in the knowledge that the service they use has met strict criteria known as the Global Rating Scale (GRS) Standards. In order to meet the high standards required, Llanelli’s Endoscopy Unit had to provide evidence to support the application for accreditation, demonstrating that the service at Prince Philip Hospital delivers high-quality, safe and appropriate endoscopy services. Carly Buckingham, Service Delivery Manager for Endoscopy at Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) said: “The Endoscopy team worked exceptionally hard to achieve Level 1 JAG accreditation and were congratulated by the assessment team on the excellent patient centred service it offers. “I am extremely proud of the team not only at Prince Phi

The language of William the Conqueror has received a major boost with the announcement of a further Arts and Humanities Research Council grant for the Anglo-Norman Dictionary based at Aberystwyth University. A form of French brought to Britain following the defeat of the Anglo-Saxon King Harold in 1066, Anglo-Norman was widely used in Britain until the end of the fifteenth century – the late Middle Ages. Such was its influence, more than 50% of English words in use today are derived from Anglo-Norman. Amongst the many culinary English words used today that have an Anglo-Norman origin are ‘soup’, ‘lettuce’, ‘pheasant’, ‘pastry’, ‘ginger’, ‘sauce’, ‘chestnut’ and ‘mustard’. In its heyday it was widely used as a language of literature, trade, law, education and administration, well before Middle English emerged in the thirteenth century. Documents such as the Magna Carta and the laws of William the Conqueror, originally composed in Latin, were translated into Anglo-Norman, and medieval

The latest Clay Shaw Butler Money Matters column from the Carmarthenshire Herald. By Mark Jones, director of Carmarthen-based Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants. HMRC have released more unusual excuses from taxpayers who failed to complete their self assessment tax return on time. These include: 'My tax return was on my yacht…which caught fire'  'A wasp in my car caused me to have an accident and my tax return, which was inside, was destroyed'  'My wife helps me with my tax return, but she had a headache for ten days'  'My dog ate my tax return…and all of the reminders'  'I couldn't complete my tax return, because my husband left me and took our accountant with him. I am currently trying to find a new accountant'  'My child scribbled all over the tax return, so I wasn't able to send it back'  'I work for myself, but a colleague borrowed my tax return to photocopy it and lost it'  '

Work has started on the second phase of a walking and cycling route which will improve links between communities and to key leisure and employment sites in Llanelli. Phase one of the scheme – which saw a shared use path created along the A4138 between Dafen and Llangennech – has already been completed. Now work is underway on the second phase along the B4303 Llethri Road. The scheme will encourage sustainable travel and improve road safety in the area, linking communities for easy access to schools and shops, and employment sites including those at Llanelli Gate Business Park and the Dafen Industrial Estate, as well as Gestamp and Calsonic Kansei, who are large employers in the town. It also forms part of the longer term plan to create a wider walking and cycling network in and around Llanelli, achieving the council’s requirements under the Active Travel Act and supporting Carmarthenshire’s aspiration to become a premier walking and cycling destination in Wales. Construction work sta

A Welsh medium primary school in Llanelli has become the first in the county to win a new language charter award. Ysgol Gymraeg Brynsierfel in Llwynhendy has been given a Codi Caerau Sir Gâr Bronze Award for the progress the school and its pupils have made in promoting the use of incidental Welsh. The Language Charter aims to help bring about an increase in the social use of Welsh by children by inspiring them to use the language in all aspects of their lives. The Charter asks for all members of the school community – the school council, pupils, the workforce, parents, governors and the wider community – to contribute. Each school sets its own challenging but achievable vision. The award has been presented at a celebration at the school with a performance of the musical drama ‘Y Welsh Not’ by the school’s drama club ‘Bobl Bach Brynsierfel’ in partnership with CISP Multimedia. Scarlets commercial manager Garan Evans, poet Mererid Hopwood and two harpists from Ysgol y Strade will be am

The Aberystwyth Students’ Union Teaching Awards, now in their sixth year, are open for nominations. Organised annually by Aberystwyth Students’ Union, and supported by the University, the awards offer the opportunity to recognise the contribution of staff (both teaching and non-teaching) and academic representatives across the University for the work they do throughout the academic year. Students are currently being invited to recognise staff and fellow student representatives by nominating individuals or departments for one of thirteen awards. The award categories for 2017 are: · Lecturer of the Year · Support / Service Staff Member of the Year · Academic Representative of the Year · Supervisor of the Year - Postgraduate · Supervisor of the Year - Undergraduate · Department of the Year · Hyrwyddwr yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Champion) · Postgraduate Teacher of the Year · Innovative Teaching Award ·

A special family fun day event is being held in Llanelly House this half-term to promote fostering opportunities in Carmarthenshire. The informal information event, run by Carmarthenshire County Council’s fostering service, in conjunction with Llanelly House and supported by Llanelli Library, is being held at the town centre-based Victorian house on Thursday, February 23, between 10.30am-2.30pm. During the event you will have a chance to meet some members of the council’s dedicated fostering team to find out more details about the various fostering opportunities available within Carmarthenshire, including what support is available should you wish to find out more. You can chat with current foster carers who will be happy to share their experiences of fostering locally with you and how they have helped transform children’s lives for the better. The new fostering website will be on show as well as the chance to view three, minute-long video case studies, featuring child actors but base

A Llanelli resident has been prosecuted after paying a man £10 to take waste from his partner’s home. The waste was the tipped in a town lane. Llanelli Magistrates Court was told that on Wednesday May 11 last year a Carmarthenshire County Council environmental enforcement officer went to the rear of Havelock Street, Llanelli, following a report that waste including a propane tank and some timber had been illegally deposited in the lane. On inspecting the lane the officer saw a number of refuse bags and a pushchair had also been deposited along with the propane tank and wood. On searching the contents of the bags the officer recovered a letter addressed to a house in Firth Road, Llanelli. Photographs were taken of the waste and of the document found in the bags. On May 18 the officer called at the property in Firth Road and spoke to the occupier who confirmed that she had waste removed from her property but was unsure as to who had removed the waste as her partner had arranged it with

Random photos of a Llanelli stroll February 15 and 16 . . .

The UK’s leading computing conference dedicated to encouraging more female students to enter the world of computing and IT will celebrate its 10th anniversary at Aberystwyth University in April 2017. The BCSWomen Lovelace Colloquium is the brainchild of Dr Hannah Dee, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Computer Science at Aberystwyth University. This year’s conference takes place on Wednesday 12 April, with events planned for the previous evening and the following day. Named after the mathematician Ada, Countess of Lovelace, who is known as the world’s first computer programmer, the one-day conference brings together women students, senior women in technology and employers. This year’s conference keynote address will be given by Dr Sue Black OBE, founder of BCSWomen and founder and CEO of TechMums, a social enterprise that provides technical training for mothers in deprived areas. Other confirmed speakers include Milka Horozova from Google and Carrie Anne Philbin, Director of E

Latest news from the Oriel Myrddin Gallery in Carmarthen -  Rambles through tunes with Ceri Rhys Matthews Thursday 2 March 2017, 6.30 -8.30pm Discount tickets for Welsh learners! Join Ceri Rhys Matthews, folk musician, artist and founding member of Welsh group 'Fernhill' for a ramble through welsh folk tunes, reminiscence and songs. In his solo show he creates a patchwork of song, flute, poetry, bagpipe, social history and memory. Not storytelling, but telling stories; not performing, but playing music; not chatting, but sharing histories. Refreshments available. Cost: £8 £5 for Welsh Learners Other concessions available. Booking Essential - call 01267 222775 Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Church Lane, Carmarthen, SA31 1LH

Penny Lane and All That, by Camarthenshire (and Pembrey) author Ann Carlton, is published this week. It is a celebration of growing up in Liverpool’s Penny Lane neighbourhood during the 1940s and 1950s – the same era as the Beatles and Quarrymen. Ann Carlton grew up at Penny Lane. Her father rose from a poor background to become a senior local government officer; thus giving her unique insights into both poverty and affluence in the city at the time. After studying sociology at the London School of Economics, Ann had a career in politics and journalism. She was one of the first UK Government Special Advisers and, for a time, a Western Mail columnist. She lives with her husband, the former MP Denzil Davies, in Pembrey. From first-hand experience, she describes the Penny Lane area itself, the squalor of the city’s slums, the treatment of needy children and unmarried mothers, the glamour of civic events and the cultural diversity of the city – including the writer’s own Welsh b

Dr Owen Bennett-Jones to deliver two talks at Aberystwyth University on 20 February Renowned print and broadcast journalist Dr Owen Bennett-Jones will reflect on his career as a BBC correspondent and journalist, and discuss the rivalry between Al-Qaeda and Islamic State in two public lectures at Aberystwyth University on Monday 20 February 2017. In ‘Nation shall speak unto Nation: Reporting in War and Peace from Beirut, Bucharest, Hanoi, Kabul and Islamabad, 1981-2017’, the veteran reporter and journalist of over thirty years’ standing will reflect on the evolution of the ‘foreign correspondent’ in a rapidly changing world. The lecture takes place at Lecture Theatre A12, in the Hugh Owen Building on Penglais Campus and starts at 3pm. The rivalry between Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, often considered ideological bedfellows, will be the subject of his second lecture. In ‘Al-Qaeda and Islamic State: Brothers in Arms or Rivals?’ Dr Bennett-Jones will draw on his long and rich e

Latest news from Swansea Bay Business Club - St David's Day Lunch with Scott Quinnell, Former Welsh International Rugby League and Rugby Union Player Our St David’s Day lunch this year will be at Parc y Scarlets where we will be joined by our guest speaker, Welsh rugby legend, Scott Quinnell. The lunch will be a chance for us to celebrate our patron saint and will also provide a fantastic networking opportunity for prominent members of the region’s business community. The event will take place at Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli on the 1st March 2017 at 12:15pm for a 1pm lunch. Bookings can be made for full tables or individual seats for networking purposes. Tickets cost £40 for a member and £45.50 for non-members. This includes a three-course lunch. To book your place please click here . Please be aware that bookings for this event will close at midnight on Wednesday 22 February or as and when the remaining 30 spaces sell out. If you have any further questions please e-mail even

A new law on backless booster car seats (booster cushions) comes into force on March 1. It means manufacturers will not be allowed to introduce new models of backless booster seats for children shorter than 125cm or weighing less than 22kg. Existing booster seats / cushions are not affected by the new rules and it doesn’t mean they are unsafe or illegal. So, if you already have one and it complies with current R44 regulations, you will not be breaking the law if you continue to use it. The change to the technical standards means that the range of products available on the market are better suited for younger children. The council’s road safety team can help residents if they are confused about the new rules and also offer a free child car seat checking service. During half-term week they will be at Tumble Fire Station on Wednesday, February 22 between 1pm and 4pm and Newcastle Emlyn Fire Station on Friday, February 24 between 11am and 3pm offering free child car seat checks, so if yo

The regeneration of Llanelli Town Centre could be boosted by a more streamlined planning process, making it easier for developers to take over empty shops says Carmarthenshire County Council’s Executive Board. Members have recommended to Full Council that the authority holds a public consultation on introducing a Local Development Order (LDO) into the centre, which would remove the need for developers or applicants to make a formal planning application for change of use. The order is intended to help attract investment to the area, and to support existing businesses by giving certainty for developers, reducing timescales and reducing the costs associated with making a planning application. Subject to full council approval, residents will be asked for their views during a six-week consultation which will help form the council’s decision on whether or not to adopt the LDO. The council’s executive board member for planning, Cllr Mair Stephens, said: “The LDO would provide an attractive

A host of legendary activities planned for residents and visitors to south west Wales during the ‘2017 Year of Legends’ have been officially unveiled. People will be able to enjoy the stunning natural landscape and fascinating history of the area in a series of walking, cycling and road trips planned as part of the campaign. Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, officially launched the South West Wales Legends Tourism Campaign at the Beacon Enterprise Centre in Llanelli. Swansea Bay, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire councils, local tourism associations as well as the Pembrokeshire National Park Authority, have come together to form a public-private partnership that will lead the way in promoting national tourism campaigns for Visit Wales’s Year of Legends throughout 2017. Led by Carmarthenshire County Council, the partnership, has secured £115,000 through the Welsh Government Regional Tourism Engagement Fund to deliver a series of marketing actions. Pro

The latest 'On Song' column (about the choral scene in Carmarthenshire) from the Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star - Fresh from their recent successes with the Valli Boys and a Christmas concert at Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli, Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir are looking forward to their next engagements. They are busy planning an exciting 2017, but they have hit a speed bump on their St David’s Day plans. A late cancellation means the ‘boys’ of Côr Meibion Llanelli are still at a loose end for St David’s Day on March 1. “We are now available for a late booking,” choir secretary Fred Elias said. “Sadly, a long-standing arrangement for St David’s Day has been cancelled at short notice. It’s unfortunate, but these things happen. “So, we are now free for a concert on and around St David’s Day in and around South Wales. “If there is anyone out there looking to arrange a fundraiser for their local church/chapel or charity organisation, then please get in touch. As long as we